CHICAGO — Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, one of the most influential civil rights leaders in modern U.S. history and a two-time Democratic presidential candidate, has died at age 84, his family confirmed Tuesday. His death closes a defining chapter in American public life—one that stretched from the front lines of the 1960s civil rights movement to the national political stage.

A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson rose to prominence as a young organizer and later became a central voice for racial justice, voting rights, and economic inclusion. Through Operation PUSH and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he built a movement that fused grassroots activism with electoral power, pushing institutions to confront inequality in hiring, education, and public policy.

Jackson’s presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 reshaped the Democratic coalition and helped open pathways for future Black candidates at every level of government. His slogans—especially “Keep hope alive”—became shorthand for political participation among communities long excluded from power.

In recent years, Jackson faced serious health challenges, including Parkinson’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, yet remained a respected moral presence in national debates. Reports from major outlets describe tributes arriving swiftly from leaders across party lines, former presidents, and civil rights advocates, many crediting Jackson with expanding the boundaries of American democracy.

As memorials begin, the country is confronting a difficult question: who can carry forward Jackson’s model of coalition politics in a deeply polarized era? His life’s work suggests the answer may not be a single heir, but a broader generation willing to organize across race, class, and geography—exactly the kind of alliance he spent decades trying to build.